Is Vladimir Tarasenko Broadway bound?

Vladimir Tarasenko has made it known he wants out of St. Louis.  Will the New York Rangers be a contender for the elite, but often injured forward?    It would be typical of the Blueshirts to invest in an aging player who has had chronic injuries, but would be a marquee acquisition. Does anyone remember Pavel Bure or Eric Lindros?

The Hockey News had this to say when they listed the Rangers as a possible destination:

"“Owner James Dolan wants to the team to win now and acquiring Tarasenko would be a big splashy move for new GM Chris Drury and form quite the duo with Artemi Panarin. The trouble may be figuring out who to send the other way.”"

They also listed Calgary as the favorite to acquire the Russian superstar in a Matthew Tkachuk trade. Some Ranger fans can only hope for that.

The pros

In looking at a Tarasenko trade, there are not a lot of positives.  He is 29 years old and will turn 30 in December.  Age is an issue, but he is in his prime.

In a perfect world, he reverts to the form that has made him one of the NHL’s most gifted and entertaining scorers. Ranger fans will remember this goal back in 2014.

When he is on, he is an elite scorer and the idea of him teaming up with Artemi Panarin is mouth watering.  For five seasons starting in 2014 he never scored fewer than 33 goals in  season, topping out with 40 goals in 2015-16.

He’s also a Stanley Cup winner who scored 11 goals in 26 playoff games for the Blues in 2019.  He’s been a Second Team All-Star twice in his career.

Tarasenko’s greatest asset is his work ethic and attitude.  His teammates have marveled at his conditioning while speaking about his down-to-earth personality.  Known as “Tank,” he’s great in the locker room.

The cons

There are reasons why the Rangers would want to stay away.  He has played only 34 games the last two seasons due to a shoulder injury.

He has had three shoulder operations since April 2018 and that is the reason for his trade request. He is reportedly very unhappy with how the team handled his shoulder injury and the surgeries and doesn’t trust the Blues’ management any longer.

In coming back from surgery this season his offense suffered greatly.  Although he played 24 games this season, he scored only four goals and 14 points.  His goals per game (0.17) and points per game (0.58) numbers were the worst of his career.

After the Blues were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year he joined the Russian team at the World Championships and had two assists in three games.

Whether he can return to the levels of offense before his shoulder problems has to be a concern.

Tarasenko would be an expensive addition with a contract with an Average Annual Value (AAV) of $7.5 million.  He has two more years left on the eight-year deal he signed in 2015.  Then again, if he gets back to form, he would be a bargain.

The Russian is a right winger and the Rangers have a surplus at that position, including Kaapo Kakko, Pavel Buchnevich, Vitali Kravtsov and Julien Gauthier.

Another concern would be what the Blues would be looking for in exchange.  While his trade demand means that the Blues have lost some leverage, there may be a bidding war for Tarasenko and that will raise his price.

The verdict?

Not knowing the full details of his physical condition it’s tough to come out in favor of a Tarasenko trade.  That said, if the Rangers are serious about accelerating their Stanley Cup window while Panarin, Kreider and Zibanejad are in their prime, if Tarasenko if 100% a trade makes sense.

The question is whether Vladimir Tarasenko would be an upgrade over Pavel Buchnevich or worth gambling on the potential of Vitali Kravtsov.   It would be hard to see the Blues trading Tarasenko for anything less than Buchnevich or Kravtsov (and more), especially if they could be pursuaded to retain some salary.

The Blues are actively pursuing a deal and you can be sure they would like to resolve the situation before the expansion draft.  That means if he is moved, it will have to be before rosters are frozen at 3pm on Saturday.  Is Chris Drury willing to roll the dice and trade for a game changing superstar?

Feel free to weigh in below.